


Somebody To Lean On

by Zana_Zira



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Depressed Prompto Argentum, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mental Health Issues, Noctis and Ignis Give Him One, Prompto Argentum Needs a Hug, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Supportive Ignis Scientia, Supportive Noctis Lucis Caelum, brotherhood era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:48:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26315956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zana_Zira/pseuds/Zana_Zira
Summary: "Prompto knew this wasn’t like him, and he hated it. He was usually all rainbows and sunshine and pop-culture references on the outside and boundless determination and tenacity on the inside. But this week had, to be frank, kicked his ass, and for once he was so down he wasn’t sure how he was going to get back up."In which Prompto is having a tough time, and Noctis and Ignis are not about to let their friend suffer alone.
Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum & Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 7
Kudos: 76





	Somebody To Lean On

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very personal fic for me. I've struggled with my own mental health issues from the time I was a small child, and still do from time to time, especially given current events. Some of Prompto's thoughts and self-sabotaging views in this fic are things I used to think and struggle with myself. Prompto is a very deep character, probably the best-written in the series, and because I relate to him in a lot of ways I find him very hard to write, because I want to get it perfect and that's a lot of pressure, lol. But I finally took the plunge and wrote a Prompto fic, and I'm very proud of how it turned out.
> 
> Hopefully this can be an uplifting piece for anyone who's struggled with their mental health, either in the past or right now. There is an unfair stigma against mental illnesses, which can be hard to deal with, but you're not alone, and there's nothing wrong with asking for help. :)

_WARK! WARK! WARK! WARK! WARK! WARK! WARK!_

It took a few moments for the ringing of his phone to pull Prompto out of the grip of his restless slumber, and a few more for him to find it where it had managed to slip under his pillow at some point. By the time he retrieved it and unlocked the screen, he’d missed a call from Noct – one of five today, apparently.

Normally he’d be scrambling to return it as soon as that realization hit, not wanting to drop the ball if his best friend needed something or make him worry. But that was the kicker – there wasn’t anything “normal” about the way he’d been feeling lately. He checked the time on the home screen and then sighed heavily, turning it off and letting it drop back onto the duvet.

4:57 p.m. He’d slept almost the entire day. Again.

Prompto knew this level of unproductivity wasn’t like him, and he hated it. He was usually pretty resilient, all rainbows and sunshine and pop-culture references on the outside and boundless determination and tenacity on the inside. But this week had, to be frank, kicked his ass, and for once he was so down he wasn’t sure how he was going to get back up.

It started with his parents calling on Sunday night to tell him an embargo between Lucis and Altissia was going to keep them away for at least another three months, meaning the family vacation they had planned for next week when they came home wouldn’t be happening for a long time to come. He’d failed a Lucian history test on Wednesday, in spite of Ignis and Noctis taking extra time to help him study. There was just something about the Lucian royalty and the dates of their reigns that he couldn’t seem to keep straight, no matter how hard he tried. But given the fact that Noctis _was_ one of said Lucian royalty, Prompto worried about how that might look.

Then on Friday his landlord raised the rent – again – and in order to make sure he still had a roof over his head he’d had to go to the power company office before they closed and beg them for yet another extension on his electric bill, because what good would electricity be if he got kicked out of the house it was powering? That was always humiliating, but thankfully the tears threatening to spill over his lashes must have made him look pathetic enough for them to take pity on him, so he had another two weeks to bring the balance current.

After that, the following chain of events would have almost been fit for one of those comedy-of-errors movies where the lead just can’t catch a break, except none of it felt even a little bit funny. He’d somehow lost his city bus pass somewhere between his house and the power company’s lobby, which meant he then had to walk five miles to his job as a clerk at a convenience store. A light drizzle began about halfway there, so by the time he walked in the front door – late –he was soaked, shivering, and muddy from his shoes up to his calves. His boss was less than impressed, and gave him a lecture right there in front of the customers about the importance of punctuality and personal hygiene. He spent the rest of his shift red-faced and fighting back tears of embarrassment, and by the time he got home he was just _done_. He called off his Friday night King’s Knight match with Noct, making up some BS excuse about a stomach ache. Noct, bless him, just said he understood and to call if he needed Ignis to bring him some soup or anything, and if Prompto wasn’t already feeling like a garbage friend that sure would’ve done it.

Since then he’d been lying in his bed, only getting up to get some water or use the bathroom (he tried forcing himself to eat once, and nearly puked after the first bite, so after that he gave up on it. He could probably stand to lose a few more pounds anyway, right?) He knew he should suck it up, clean his house, take a gods-damned _shower_ so he didn’t reek of B.O. and his hair wasn’t hanging lank and greasy across his face, but he just couldn’t seem to find the motivation to do so.

Not to say he hadn’t tried; he had. But every time he tried to leave the relative safety of his nest of ratty covers his anxiety would spike, his heart racing and his breaths coming shorter and faster, until he felt like just bawling because _seriously_ , how useless could he _be_? There was school and homework he was missing, shifts at his part-time jobs he should have gone to but had called in sick instead even though he needed the money, time he could have been spending with Noct! But it was just too hard, his limbs too heavy and his body and mind too weary. He hated himself for it, but that hatred just increased the weight. Nothing sounded fun, or exciting, or worthwhile. He didn’t want to look at his photos, or play games, or watch TV. The only thing that seemed to help was sleeping, so he didn’t have to think, but then when he woke up he felt guilty for sleeping so long. It was like a never-ending cycle of awful.

The sound of a happy _Kweh!_ from his phone broke him out of his spiraling thoughts for a moment, and he sluggishly reached for it again, wincing when he saw a text from Noct in his notifications. He almost didn’t want to open it – what if Noct had realized how useless he was? What if he was tired of being blown off, and was going to tell Prompto he was too much trouble and their friendship was a mistake? Somehow, after taking several minutes to convince himself to grow a pair and open the message, he almost wished that _was_ what Noct had said.

[NOCTGAR]: Prom? U feeling btr? Havent heard back and im honestly starting to worry a little.

Prompto’s heart dropped, only now realizing it was already Tuesday and he hadn’t returned a single one of Noct’s calls or messages since Friday night. He hurriedly typed out a response, hoping his friend wouldn’t notice anything off.

[CHOCOBRO]: Yeah dude, sry! ive been away from my phone and

He paused after hitting Send, debating whether or not to finish that thought. _And what? Crying into my pillow for almost four days? Yeah, that’ll make him worry less._

[CHOCOBRO]: had to miss some school 4 a wrk thing. Sorry to worry u!

Ellipses flashed up on the screen indicating Noctis was typing, then disappeared and reappeared three or four times before a response finally came through.

[NOCTGAR]: R U sure? I know ur always pretty busy w/ work n stuff, but this still isnt like u.

Prompto’s heart sank down so low he thought it might fall out of his butt. _Shit. He was making Noct worry._

[CHOCOBRO]: Yeah, sure im sure! All good here, man! See u at school 2mrw :) ;) :) ;)

[NOCTGAR]: …

[NOCTGAR]: ok, if u say so… :/

[NOCTGAR]: But if u need to talk, u know im here, right?

[CHOCOBRO]: yeah, totes! thanx! tty l8r!

Prompto turned off his phone screen before he could see whether or not Noctis responded again. He clenched his hand around it and hurled it across the room, rolling over onto his side and curling up into a shaking ball as tears began to leak onto his pillow. Why couldn’t he just get over himself? The freaking Prince of Lucis had way bigger problems than he ever would, and he wasn’t wallowing around in self-pity like this. Instead, he was taking time to comfort _Prompto_ , when really it should have been the other way around! Gods, he was such a fuck-up.

In spite of the panicky adrenaline coursing through his veins and the sobs making him shudder from head to toe, it didn’t take long for that familiar exhaustion to return. To his mixed disappointment and relief, it only took a few minutes after that for him to drift off again, tears still drying in salty streaks down his face.

**_~FFXV~_ **

When Prompto awoke next, it was with a jolt as a loud and sudden series of bangs echoed through the house. On auto-pilot he staggered to the front door, taking no notice of the early evening light trailing in through the windows or his own disheveled appearance. Instead, he steeled himself for dealing with what was most likely a utility company employee here to turn off some service or other. He’d already paid rent a few days ago, after all, and he hadn’t done anything to disturb the peace, so he knew it couldn’t be his landlord.

With a resigned sigh, he opened the door – and then promptly froze in place, hand still hovering where the doorknob had been as it swung open to reveal Noctis and Ignis standing there instead.

Their eyes both widened as they caught sight of him (although Ignis at least tried to hide his surprise) and suddenly Prompto realized how he must look, especially to the always prim-and-perfect Ignis. He felt himself flush, and he began stammering out excuses faster than his mind could even make sense of them.

“Oh, h-hey, guys! Nice of you to, uh, drop by! I was just – I just got back from – I mean I was going to – Um, I’m sorry the place is a mess, I haven’t had time to – I…” He trailed off into awkward silence, shame heating his face as he realized what they must be thinking, and started backing away. “Uh, yeah, so, if you guys wanna like, hang out for a while that’s fine. Sorry I can’t be a better host right now, I’ve just gotta go –”

“Whoa, whoa, easy,” Noctis finally cut in, stepping inside just enough to keep Prompto from shutting the door in their faces – which he hadn’t even realized he’d been about to do until Noct stopped him. He put an arm around Prompto’s shoulders and guided them toward the old couch in the middle of the room, Ignis following silently and closing the door gently behind them. Once they were seated, Noct and Prompto on the sofa and Ignis in an armchair nearby, Noctis placed his warm, steady hand over Prompto’s trembling clammy one and earnestly said, “Prom, talk to me.”

“I’m –”

“Don’t try to tell me you’re fine. You’re not fine. Look at you, you’re a mess!”

“Noctis,” Ignis chastised, and Noctis sighed and ran a hand back through his messy black locks.

“Sorry. I don’t mean it in a judgmental way, just… This isn’t like you. Skipping our King’s Knight session is one thing, but missing three days of school? Work? Crownsguard Training?”

“Three days?” Prompto cut in, confused. “What do you mean? It’s only been two.”

Noctis exchanged a look with his advisor before speaking again, his voice gentle but laced with concern. “Prom, it’s Wednesday. I talked to you last night, and then when you missed school today and I couldn’t get ahold of you I decided to come check on you.”

“Wed… Wednesday?” Prompto choked, the numbness of budding panic tingling down his fingertips as involuntary tears rose in his eyes. “No, that’s… I just went to bed a few hours ago. It should be Tuesday night… It’s…” Against his will, he found his voice trailing off into nothing, traitorous throat aching as a sob suddenly escaped.

Before he knew it, he was hunched over with his head in his hands, crying brokenly as the weight of the situation slammed into him all at once. He had known this was getting out of hand, that he was losing control of his emotions in a way he never had before, but he was supposed to pull himself together before it got this far! Letting his self-pity interfere with his work, with school, with his friendships – how had it gotten this bad? Everything began to spill out of him between hiccupping gasps – missing his parents, the bills, his job, school, not wanting to disappoint Noctis, feeling useless. Once the floodgates were opened, he couldn’t seem to close them anymore, until his babbling devolved into more tears and he couldn’t get the words out anymore. He felt a hand on his back and just let it out, releasing all of the negative emotions he’d been bottling up since gods-knew-when.

Sometime later, it could have been minutes or maybe hours, he felt his tears abating and realized he was being touched by somebody – no, _two_ somebodies. He lifted his head and blinked against the tears. A small spark of something warm and fuzzy flared to life in his chest when he realized both Noctis and Ignis had squeezed in beside him on the sofa, holding him protectively between them. Ignis had taken Prompto’s left hand in his, gently rubbing his callused thumb in a soothing pattern over the backs of Prompto’s knuckles. Noctis, for his part, had put his arm up around Prompto’s shoulders to pull him in closer, shushing him quietly while he unwittingly wept into his best friend’s chest. Prompto winced at the wet spots he’d left on Noct’s black T-shirt, hoping it was just tears and that he hadn’t wiped his nose on him or something.

“N… Noct? Iggy?” Prompto croaked, and Noctis sighed in relief while Ignis’s lips quirked up ever so slightly at the corners.

“Hey,” Noctis greeted cheerfully, squeezing Prompto a little closer in a one-armed hug. “You back with us?”

Prompto took stock of himself, realizing he felt much more lucid than he had in days. “I… think so?”

Noctis blew out another relieved sigh. “Good. You really scared me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Nah, don’t be sorry. Just tell me when you’re feeling like this next time, before it gets to this point.”

“Sor – I mean, uh. I guess I just didn’t want to burden you with all my problems when you’ve got enough on your plate, y’know? Not your fault I’m not strong enough to handle it.”

Noctis looked wounded.

“Burden me? The hell? Prompto, how many times have I vented to you about anything and everything that’s bothering me? Any time I’ve ever had something to complain about you’ve been there for me, even if it was just about Ignis sneaking carrots into my food – and _yes_ , Specs, _I noticed._ ” He shot Ignis a dirty look and then got back to the conversation at hand. “Do you seriously not think I’d do the same for you?”

Prompto swallowed hard, ashamed of how much sense Noctis was making and how ridiculous his fears seemed in the face of that logic. “I… no. I know you’d do the same for me. I just… wasn’t used to feeling like this. I mean, I’ve been down before, of course, but not like this. I honestly felt like…”

“What did you feel like?” Noctis prodded when he didn’t finish the thought.

“I felt like… it was all just too much, y’know? Like I was just _done_ , and like… I didn’t want to _not_ wake up, but I also wouldn’t have been mad if I didn’t?”

The last part was said in a whisper, but the other two heard it all the same.

Noctis’s face fell, and he looked close to tears himself now. “Oh, Prompto…”

“As difficult as I’m sure it was to do so,” Ignis finally said, “thank you for telling us, Prompto.” He rose from the couch, brushing an errant wrinkle out of his shirt, and turned toward the kitchen. “Now, how would you feel about some supper? When did you last eat?”

Prompto wasn’t sure he wanted to answer that truthfully, but his awkward silence must have been answer enough.

“No matter, it’s alright. Here’s what we’ll do: You go freshen up – shower, put on a change of clothes – and when you’re finished I guarantee you’ll feel worlds better. By that time I’ll have dinner ready, and we can all sit down and eat, and then perhaps we can watch something on the telly or you and Noct can play one of your games. How does that sound?”

“Honestly? That sounds amazing,” Prompto answered with his first real smile in days. Normally he’d feel embarrassed at being told he needed a bath like he was a child and having someone else cook for him, but there was no judgment in Ignis’s tone and his calm, no-nonsense attitude made it easy for Prompto to take his advice.

As predicted, addressing his hygiene did make a world of difference. He brushed and flossed his teeth, removing the unpleasant taste and the feeling of fuzz on his tongue, and followed it up with a minty mouthwash to chase away any remaining bad breath. He didn’t even glance up at his reflection in the mirror, knowing that it wouldn’t make him feel any better to see himself looking as bad as he felt. Instead, he turned on the water in the shower as hot as he could stand, stepping under the spray with a groan of relief as it chased away the internal chill that always seemed to come with being dirty. He let himself enjoy it, taking the time to thoroughly scrub the dirt from his face, wash and condition his hair until it felt smooth and silky again, and scrub away the sweat and grime and stink from every corner of his body he could reach. By the time he got out and dried off he felt like he’d washed a whole layer off to reveal a different Prompto underneath, and slipping into a fresh set of lounge pants and a T-shirt was absolute bliss.

As promised, Ignis and Noct were waiting for him when he strode out of the bathroom, a pot of green curry soup sitting on a dish towel in the center and three bowls of it already served up and ready to eat. As soon as the spicy scent hit his nose, his stomach growled so loudly it was almost painful; he hadn’t realized until now just how hungry he actually was. Ignis gestured for him to sit and he did so immediately, taking just long enough to thank him for the food before tucking into it with gusto. It was like heaven, spreading warmth throughout his body like a big hug, and the nearly X-rated moan he gave after that first spoonful was enough to get a laugh out of Noctis and put a slight blush on Ignis’s cheeks.

“Gods, this is amazing. Thank you so much, Iggy!”

“You’re quite welcome,” Ignis answered, looking pleased. “Have as much as you like – I’ll be leaving any leftovers here for you to eat as well.” He brought his free hand up to his lips, stroking his fingers down to his jaw a couple of times before speaking again. “Now, in regards to our earlier conversation…”

Prompto felt himself tense, not sure exactly where Ignis was going with this.

“It sounds like you’ve been dealing with these feelings for some time, maybe longer than you realize. I’m unqualified to make any kind of diagnosis, but it sounds like this may be some form of clinical anxiety or depression. If I may ask, would you be opposed to seeking out some counseling, or perhaps medication if need be?”

That was definitely not what Prompto had been expecting, and it brought him up short.

“Counseling? Like, going to a shrink and doing the whole ‘How does that make you feel?’ routine? I don’t know that that’s really for me, Iggy. I mean, you don’t think I’m crazy, right?”

Noctis snorted quietly, and Ignis was unable to keep the amusement completely off of his face.

“Of course not. But counseling is much more than just ‘How does that make you feel?” as you put it. A well-trained mental health professional can be a fantastic resource. They can give insight into why you feel the way you do, as well as provide you with skills and exercises that help you work through those emotions and keep them from becoming too much to bear. I can’t make the decision for you, of course, but I ask that you at least consider it.”

“I mean, it’s not that I’ve never thought about it, but…”

“But?”

“Won’t they kick me out of the Crownsguard if they find out I’m seeing a therapist? Isn’t that, like, taboo, or a sign of being unfit for the job?”

Noctis chuckled and grinned as he shook his head. “First of all, no, seeing a therapist is totally allowed and actually encouraged for Crownsguard members. And secondly, if they’d bar you from being Crownsguard for it then they’d definitely have to bar me from being the future king for it, and so far no one’s handed me a pink slip.”

“Wait, really? You… y’know, do therapy?”

“Of course! Iggy and I both do. It’s helped us both learn to manage the pressure, being able to talk to someone without any stake in the game, so to speak. I used to deal with a lot of depression that felt a lot like what you just told us about. And Specs,” he stopped to gesture at Ignis with his thumb, “used to be the king of stressing himself into panic attacks. I _told_ him to stop putting so much pressure on himself, that I didn’t need everything perfect all the time, but it didn’t seem to matter. When _Dr. Fair_ told him, though…” He trailed off, a teasing tone in his voice.

Ignis rolled his eyes. “Yes, well, it wasn’t quite so simple as just ‘not putting so much pressure on myself,’ but you are correct in that Dr. Fair’s advice has been invaluable.”

“Huh,” Prompto said softly, a tiny smile finding its way onto his face. “That’s… really cool, actually. I had no idea.”

Noctis nodded. “It’s way more common than people realize. Dr. Fair says everyone needs a mental tune-up at some point. Some more often than others, but everyone does.”

“Yeah, I could see that. So, uh, how do I get started with this? Like, making an appointment and all that?”

“I’ll see to it that the office has your contact information first thing tomorrow,” Ignis answered, picking up his bowl and washing it out in the sink before returning to the table. “They’ll call to set up an appointment with you, so you can pick a time that works around your schooling, work, and training. You can see Dr. Fair like Noct and I do, or if you prefer to see a woman, Dr. Lockhart is available as well. Now then, Noct,” he continued as he strode to the front door and retrieved a full white garbage bag that hadn’t been there earlier. “Please put away dinner when you two are finished eating. I’ll be back shortly with the laundry.”

“Laundry?” Prompto asked, only now realizing he could see the Chocobo pattern of his duvet showing through the bag. “Wait, no, you don’t have to do that! I’ll just take them to the laundromat next time I –”

“It’s no trouble at all, Prompto. I’m happy to assist you when you need it – please allow me to do so.”

“I… okay. Thanks,” he said sheepishly.

Ignis nodded and smiled gently, turning on his heel and heading out the door. A moment later Prompto heard the Regalia’s engine revving up, before it faded into the distance.

“Hey, why don’t you go find something for us to watch?” Noctis asked as he picked up the pot of soup and began ladling it into a smaller container to save for later.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to help you first? You don’t have to –”

“Prom.” Noctis smiled at him, one hand on his hip in mock-irritation. “What did Specs just say? We want to help, so let us.”

There wasn’t much to say to that, so Prompto just nodded, finding a cool-looking Sci-Fi movie that had just started on TV. Noct joined him a moment later, plopping down onto the couch with a groan and stretching lazily. He bumped his shoulder against Prompto’s, and waited until the blond looked over at him before he spoke.

“Don’t ever hide something like this from me again, you got it? I know you don’t want to burden me, but telling me when something’s bothering you isn’t a burden. Knowing you were hurting and I wasn’t here to help is. It works both ways – we’re here for you just as much as you are for us. Don’t forget that.”

Prompto beamed. “I won’t. Thanks, Noct.”

They fell into companionable silence, watching the movie together until Noct inevitably passed out halfway through, head tipped back and drooling on Prompto’s shoulder.

Everything wasn’t magically better – he still had a lot of roiling doubt and anxiety hiding just beneath the surface, and the problems that had led up to his bout of depression hadn’t suddenly resolved themselves.

Still, with his friends by his side and the right resources at his disposal, he knew they’d get through it – together.

**Author's Note:**

> "Sometimes in our lives we all have pain  
> We all have sorrow  
> But if we are wise  
> We know that there's always tomorrow  
> Lean on me, when you're not strong  
> And I'll be your friend  
> I'll help you carry on  
> For it won't be long  
> 'Til I'm gonna need  
> Somebody to lean on"  
> \- Bill Withers


End file.
